Louisiana Amendment 1 Would Allow Surviving Spouses Of Disabled Veterans To Keep Property Tax Exemption After Moving

LOUISIANA — Voters across Louisiana will decide November 3 whether surviving spouses of certain disabled veterans should be allowed to keep an additional property tax exemption when moving to another home.

The proposal, listed as Constitutional Amendment 1, would change a restriction that currently ties the exemption to the home a surviving spouse occupied with the deceased veteran.

What Does Amendment 1 Change?

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Louisiana provides additional property tax exemptions to qualifying veterans with service-connected disabilities. Under existing constitutional provisions, an eligible surviving spouse may continue receiving the exemption after the veteran’s death, provided the spouse continues to own and occupy the qualifying property.

That creates a potential financial concern for surviving spouses who need to relocate.

For example, someone who loses a spouse might eventually decide to move into a smaller home, relocate closer to family or purchase a property that is easier to maintain.

Under the current rules, moving to another property means losing the additional exemption.

Amendment 1 would allow an eligible surviving spouse to transfer that exemption to another qualifying home one time.

The transferred exemption could not exceed the amount claimed on the previous property.

What Does A Yes Vote Mean?

Voting YES would allow a qualifying surviving spouse to transfer the additional property tax exemption to another eligible home one time.

The change would give surviving spouses greater flexibility to relocate without automatically losing that particular tax benefit.

What Does A No Vote Mean?

Voting NO would preserve the existing constitutional requirement.

Eligible surviving spouses could continue receiving the additional exemption while remaining in the qualifying home, but they would not gain the proposed right to transfer it to another property.

How Could This Affect St. Tammany Parish Residents?

For qualifying military families in Slidell, Covington, Mandeville and throughout St. Tammany Parish, the proposal could make a difference when deciding whether to move following the death of a spouse.

The amendment does not create a new exemption for every surviving spouse or eliminate property taxes for all veterans’ families. It specifically addresses the transfer of an existing additional exemption for qualifying surviving spouses of veterans with service-connected disabilities.

The proposal also does not change Louisiana’s standard homestead exemption.

When Would The Change Take Effect?

If approved by a majority of Louisiana voters, Amendment 1 would take effect January 1, 2027.

It is one of 10 proposed constitutional amendments appearing on the November 3 ballot.

Voters can approve or reject each amendment independently.

The Rabbit Hole News will continue examining the proposed constitutional amendments individually to help Louisiana voters understand what each measure would change before Election Day.